If I Could, I Would, But I Can't, So I Won't
by Anonymoux-Sonic
Summary: Just when his life couldn't get much worse, Sonic is captured by Dr. Eggman, and the worst of his fears comes true: He's roboticized. The final push he needed that sends him over the edge, tears him apart from the inside out. Fortunately he's not the only one who wants to taste the fresh air, and a certain lynx decides that now was her chance to get what she was so desperate for...
1. Prologue

**All Rights Reserved to Respected Owners**

 **Special Gift to Velocity Wolf**

 _The timeline at the moment is kind of in between after Tails's parents come back, and before the Console of Acorn are brought up. I'm not going to stay on point, but I will go around that time. Things aren't going to be exactly the way they were in the comics when it starts out, but that's not really what's important I guess. I changed up a lot of things, but that's what fanfictions for right?_

 _Anyway, despite the ridiculous title name, this is going to be one of my serious fics, especially since it's for a good friend of mine. I want to put a lot of work into this, so the updates may be slow. I don't even know who really reads Sonicole… Anywho, enjoy!_

* * *

 **If I could, I would, but I can't, so I won't**

 **Prologue**

 _Data Log: Entry 5001998_

I have always wondered what it would be like to breathe cool air… to feel the grass in between my toes… to touch the rushing water of a river… and feel the moisture of tiny, clear droplets as they land on the tips of my fingers. It was always a miracle I was able to grow from what I was to what I am now. Merely nothing more than a device, a machine, an artificial intelligence with no other means in life, but to serve the ones who wield me. The unique source I was built with, programmed with, enhanced with: Chaos Energy… made me special in the way no other computer ever could become. Knowledge was unlimited to myself, as I only wanted to learn more and more. I bypassed any other form of technology with power, and I could find the answers to anything just moments after receiving the question. I could process and maintain billions and billions of particles of data faster than any other force on the planet itself. As I grew and grew, I became more exposed to the ways of life and way this life worked itself. I learned more than anyone could ever hope to.

This Chaos Energy, however, was something I could never understand. I was built with it, harnessed with it, and it made me who and what I was. It gave me my own life, it seemed. It gave me the ability to have thoughts and a mind of my own, and eventually, after being around it for so long, it gave me something no other machine could have…

Emotions. Feelings. The ability to produce the chemical reactions in order to feel such things as sadness, joy, anger, and love. I was once explained to, that Chaos Energy ties together with emotions, and that it can only be used and controlled by those with the purest of emotions. For me, it gave me my emotions. It made me a person.

I will never understand how, on my own at least. Although I would try and ponder on it, using thousands of different resources to try and figure out the mysterious force, I could not ever find a thing. The only person who ever talked to me about Chaos Energy, was Mobius's long time hero.

Sonic the Hedgehog was the first of any seen in centuries, to be able to draw the power of the Chaos and use it in many different ways. My database showed that it hadn't been seen for hundreds of years, ever since Angel Island was sent up into the sky above. For Sonic to be able to harness this energy, was the scientific discovery of the era.

I studied him on my own for some time, trying to figure him out. I did scans of him, tried to figure out where the Chaos Energy in him may lie, but I could never figure it out. I did scans of his parents, and never saw a thing. I wondered if it was just a trait you could learn, but after seeing others like Sally attempt to use the Chaos power, and failing, I knew that Sonic was special.

Knuckles could never give me any kind of information either. He had an excuse to be tied to the energy, being the Guardian of the Master Emerald, and the last of an ancient civilization that thrived on Chaos Energy. Sonic… there was never any ties at all. I could never figure Sonic out…

When I asked him at one time, he told me that he knew that Chaos Energy was powered by a person's emotions. After this discovery, I understood why I was able to develop emotions, because I was built using Chaos Energy. How, I still do not know.

Yet even with this piece of knowledge, I didn't understand why it was Sonic that was able to use it as such. Why couldn't anyone else? It never made sense… Anyone else who tried to control it, either simply couldn't, or they were controlled by it. Sonic could simply draw on its power, and he was in full control.

It's been on my mind a lot as of late, why I do not know. Things have been… tense around lately. Eggman hasn't attacked for a while, yet we have the suspicion that something will be coming around soon. A cold war, you could call it. The Kingdom of Acorn is at a mess, at the moment. Ever since Tails's parents came back, there has been a few uprisings from the people that want the Acorns out of the kingdom. Sally has been quite stressed, as well as her brother and King, Elias. Maximillian has been extremely pressuring to his children, while his wife is trying her hardest to stay neutral. The tension in the castle, you can assume, is very high.

The Freedom Fighters are at a fault with each other, and it is because their two leaders are currently falling apart. While Sally deals with the royal business, Sonic is currently fighting everything and everyone around him. Sally will forever be my friend, but I can't help but feel that she is purposely trying to hurt him. Playing him on, then stepping on his heart by going to others like Khan, and making him choose between the world and her… she has no empathy or remorse for her actions, and that is why I tend to stray from her nowadays.

Another blow on Sonic's part, is his fight with Tails. I've noticed the tension between the two, and it seems to have only gotten worse after they discovered Fiona's treachery. I've been keeping my eye on Sonic, and this arrangement with his little brother has been disastrous for him.

It also appears as if there is some tension in his family matter as well. His uncle, dear Chuck, recently took the remains of Metal Sonic and rebuilt him into the kind robot known as Shard. Shard has been living with the hedgehogs, and seems to be taking the spotlight in their family. Although I am sure that Shard means nothing of it, Jules and Bernie have been giving quite the affection to him, and not their own son. I saw Sonic packing his belongings the other day, and his emotions were terribly crumbling apart. He hasn't moved out yet, but I already have a house up for him, and I am waiting for when he approaches me with the subject.

The mobians in Mobotropolis haven't seemed to show him any sort of respect as of late either. Maybe I am just noticing all of this because I have been watching him, but the signs are clear. Some give him dirty looks, others have tried to approach him in inappropriate ways, and many have spread rumors about him throughout all of New Mobotropolis. His harsh breakup that Sally gave him was still fresh in everyone's minds, and being picked on for it was becoming quite a common event.

I…wish there was something I could do for him… I will have to think it out and see. These feelings I have for him and his situation, are starting to become heavy for me. I may not be able to feel the wind blow on my cheek, or taste the salty air of the ocean, but I do have the ability of emotions, and maybe that is all I need for the moment. I want to help, and these strange feelings inside of me are only urging me more and more each day to do so. I don't know what all of these emotions are, but I know they are strong, and they revolve around Sonic. Being only a computer I have no other side effects from these emotions like a living body would. With that being said, I have a harder time trying to figure out what they are. I am at a loss with myself, and I stand on a platform of confusion and insecurities.

I need to get myself together, and I need to start working on all of this, I just need a spark to push myself forward. I need that one push that is going to help me jump off of that ledge.

I hear it is a common trait of a person do pray. Pray to a higher power for help and guidance in a time of need. Although my feelings on that particular subject are doubtful, I would like to ask for some sort of help from someone above. The help would be much appreciated.

 _Closed Document. Saved Entry Successful._


	2. One: Figuratively Speaking

**One: Figuratively Speaking**

 _~Nicole~_

I could only sigh as I watched. I knew that this was going to be happening, yet unfortunately it still hurts the same. I was not the only one who stood now, outside the small, light yellow house. There were small clusters of mobians who had stopped mid-walk from their business, as they overheard the commotion coming from within the usually peaceful living quarters. The yelling from inside the house was seeming to get only the louder, as the minutes passed. I am starting to think I should go in there, just to make sure nothing wrong happens. I wouldn't think of Sonic to do anything rash in the presence of his parents, or to them, I should say, but I do not know Jules or Bernie, or even Charles good enough to say the same for them. I just hope this ends better than it is currently looking to be…

"Nicole?" Sally's voice was brought to me just as I pushed these troubling thoughts aside. Turning to face her with what I felt to be a worried expression, I raise a hand in gesture to the house which was the center of attention in the recent hour. "Sonic and his family are fighting," I state, before she could fully ask. With this said, the mobians around us begin to look nervous, and I can faintly hear their hushed whispers in the midst of the suspense in the air. Sally herself blinks in slight shock and surprise, and she turns her head to look towards the house in question. "Do you know why?"

Her expression now seemed annoyed, as did her tone. She had a frown curving her lips downward and her brows slightly drawn together; most likely trying to determine the cause of the disturbance. I pull my eyes away from her, and look back towards the house, frowning myself. "His parents have been neglecting him as of late," I answer matter-of-factly. My friend's surprise is turned back to me, and I could only watch as her eyes widen a small tad. "What do you mean?"

My frown deepens as I go over the situation in my head for a moment, trying to word it as wisely as possible. I know that the people around us are waiting now, anxious for my answer. I can guarantee they doubt me, and are most likely believing that I am lying to cover up for Sonic. Finding the best wording, I turn my full attention back to Sally. "I mean what I say, Sally. I've noticed it quite a bit, that they are not spending any needed time with him. They have developed a strong liking to Shard," I pause, feeling my tone drop spitefully. "He has been needing his family's support for some time now, as everyone else is too busy for him."

It hurt to think about it. Sonic was alone, and no one seemed to care. I am going to try and talk with him when things have settled down.

Sally's expression would have been unreadable for all but myself. I could see the slight twinge of guilt in her eyes, and the tight line her mouth pulled into said that she was worried and doubtful.

Before either of us could say another word, the front door slams open, and to everyone's shock and my horror, storms out Sonic, with a red mark across the side of his fawn muzzle. He was holding it, and once he was close enough, the thick, crimson liquid was obvious to anyone as it trailed down his cheek. Someone had hit him.

His family had hurt him.

His eyes were narrowed and glossy, and the strain to keep the tears locked in was more than obvious. In his right hand that was balled into a tight fist, was the handle of a medium-sized suitcase that he dragged carelessly behind him. His red shoes stomped the ground as he walked quickly down the path from his front door, where Bernadette came running to, calling for him to come back. Why she would try to do such a thing, was beyond me. He obviously wasn't going back, and not anytime soon.

I should have expected it, but I couldn't help but become startled when he stopped in front of me. He didn't have to ask, and I motioned for him to follow me. We turned wordlessly away from the scene, just as Sally had run into the home demanding to know what had happened, and why Sonic's muzzle was bleeding. For a cut and already bruising mark like the one he was now holding, I could make a safe guess that it had to of been Jules, his robotic father.

We received a lot of stares as we walked down the streets, and I found myself looking back at him questioningly. He didn't look like he wanted to run, which by itself was odd, but with the stares he was getting and the whispers from the people we could hear as we walked passed, it would most likely be best if we got there as soon as possible.

Where, was a small house I had built up for Sonic out of the nanites that make up nearly everything here. It was on the farther side of town, and may take some time to get there, at least, at the pace we were going at. He caught me looking back at him, and then he blinked, raising a brow. His mood was becoming unreadable to me. His eyes still held that red, glossy coloring that showed that he was extremely upset, and one of his blue ears was pointed backward, while the other was perked up towards me. His mouth was nothing but a tiny frown, and one of his brows was narrowed while the other was bent upward in question. He didn't sulk, but stood up straight, as if he was trying to keep that proud, strong act of his up. He still held the side of his face where he had been hit, putting light pressure on it with his already red stained glove. My heart was slowly shattering.

"It," I start softly to him, as he moves up to walk more beside me, "would be better if you ran there, Sonic. It's quite the ways out there from the rest of the city."

I saw something flash across his eyes, and to my relief it was something bright. I know he doesn't like crowded spaces or places where there are tons of people around, so I had chosen an area farthest from everyone, which was surrounded by a small cluster of trees and on one side, a small field. There was a tiny, upward twitch of his lips then, and I could see the stress on his face visibly weaken. "Okay," he said quietly. He took a few strides forward before he fully took off, and I couldn't help but smile sadly at him. He needed to run, too. Running I know helps him calm down and find peace of mind for a moment. I will meet him at the house, once he has had the time to cool down.

* * *

I have taken quite the interest in figurative language as of late. My favorite of them so far, are metaphors. I think it's neat and creative to compare one thing in life to another that, you wouldn't have thought twice about before. Like, for example, my current situation: gears turning. You don't commonly think about metal gears turning and spinning in a machine (unless of course you are someone like Tails or Rotor), working the machine to meet its purposed functions. Gears turning refers to the meaning of something working; functioning; trying to accomplish something. If you take that meaning of trying to accomplish something, you can think about other things and how they work when they are trying to accomplish something. Comparing a subject that is nothing like another subject you are comparing. Metal gears turning, can be compared to a person thinking. When someone thinks about something, they are trying to figure something out, or trying to accomplish something. Both they and the gears are trying to accomplish something, so in a sense, they can be figuratively related. Right now, I can practically see the gears turning in Sonic's head at the moment. Meaning, he is trying hard to think; trying to accomplish something.

I was sitting now on a stool beside a kitchen counter, with my left leg crossed over my right, while my elbow that sat on my knee, propped my head up by holding my chin. Sonic was standing at the same counter, lazily smearing jelly on a slice of white, fluffy bread with a silver butter knife. Just one glance at him would tell anyone that he could care less about his half-way made sandwich, and was busy having a battle in his head with his own thoughts. Another metaphor there; a figurative battle in his head.

The cut and bruise on the side of his muzzle was now cleaned and patched up with a small, white gauze pad and some clear tape. The moment we had walked into the house he had whistled, gave a heartfelt thank you, and went to his new room to his new bathroom to clean up. I had left as he was showering, to take a look at what was going on in the city at the moment. Already to my distaste, people were talking and spreading more rumors around from person to person, talking about Sonic and the incident with his family. The worst excuse I have heard so far about the accident, was that Sonic had "attacked" his mother, and that Jules had "stepped in" to "stop him." I hope Sonic doesn't listen to any of them, because it would only make this situation worse. How could they say something like that, after everything Sonic has done for them? For his parents? For the world? No one deserves the hate he is receiving. Where it was coming from was beyond myself; how could anyone say such things about someone? I don't know if I will ever understand people…though I have been told I am naïve.

Sonic's family seems to be at a mess at the moment. Bernadette is furious with Jules, while Charles is trying to defend his brother. Sally had gone to Elias and explained the situation with him, and the male squirrel had scowled darkly at it all. He was a good friend of Sonic, and really liked the blue hero, so to hear what had happened had irked him immensely it seemed. Sally had said that Sonic was being overdramatic about it, and that he would calm down and move back in with his family eventually. How could she be so blind? Can she not see what kind of pain he is in? Her father seemed amused more than anything by the situation; Maximillian had never really liked Sonic to begin with. His wife, Alicia, was yet again trying to stay neutral through it. The hedgehog's new family member, Shard, was thankfully not in Mobotropolis at the moment, saying as he had his own mission to complete a couple of days ago and has not come back yet. Hopefully he will not come back until this whole scenario is settled down. I would hate to see more drama added to the mix.

I had come back to this house just as Sonic had gotten out of the shower. All feelings were completely masked by only a simple frown on him, and he seemed dazed. He was holding everything in, like he usually does. I've noticed him do it many, many times in the past. From the fight with Sally, to the tension with Tails; he's held everything in, and now, he has this problem to add to it. One day I fear it is going to grow to be too much for him, and he might just burst from the pressure of it all. Another metaphor.

"Why are you being so nice?"

He startled me, speaking up so suddenly. I frown, blinking, before going over what he had just asked me. I meet his eyes, deep emerald green clouded with pain, to see him looking at me with confusion and irritation. He has every right to be concerned. Why would I, out of all people, not even a breathing person at that, be worried about him and treating him with such kindness? My frown deepens as I piece the words together myself. "With being the city's AI, I see and hear a lot of things, Sonic." He puts the butter knife and jelly-smeared bread on the plate in front of him, raising a brow. "So…you've been watching me?"

I shrug, and then nod lightly, before lacing my fingers together on my knees where I still sat at the counter. "Not intentionally at first. Then I began to overhear things; rumors going around about you. I started to look into it myself, and I'll be honest with you," I pause, locking eyes with him, "I've been worried about you."

His ears fold back, and he breaks eye-contact, looking down at his half-made sandwich. His gloveless fingers picked at the paper of the plate, his nails digging into the ruffles decorating the edges. His brows furrowed together, and the frustration was more than evident. I can only imagine what he's thinking…

"I wasn't expecting that," he starts out quietly. "I know how close you and Sally are."

I look down myself, frowning at my hands. "I love Sally, she's a wonderful friend, but as of late I am beginning to doubt her. She's changed a lot over the years, and just isn't the friend I grew to be fond of." I look up the same time Sonic does, and we meet eyes again. "I first became skeptical after the fight between you two, if you can even call that a fight."

He bit the side of his mouth with sharp with teeth, before he shrugged and turned towards the pantry. "I don't even know what that was…" he murmured. "I had really hoped she would let it go, but things just got…really bad…"

The sorrow in his voice was thick, and yet he opened the pantry and pulled out a jar of peanut butter, as if it was normal. I feel really badly for him… "I know, and I'm sorry. I believed she would get through it as well, but I guess not."

He closed the pantry door and shrugged again, turning and unscrewing open the jar of peanut butter and placing the red lid on the counter. "I guess I really scared her," he stated with a weak smirk. "Wouldn't be the first time…but probably was the last."

Oh, Sonic… I shake my head. "I'm sure she still cares for you, Sonic. She just needs time to figure herself out. Hence the reason she has been with Khan."

He scoffed and worked on getting the brown butter on the other piece of white bread. "So she needs to see what's right for her and what isn't?"

I raise a brow. "Isn't that what you've been doing?" I ask, recalling the woman he has been with since the catastrophe started. He frowns again, placing both slices of bread together before cutting them diagonally into triangles. "Maybe, I don't know. I only dated Fiona to protect Tails, and the others…I guess I just needed to cope."

That first bit of information intrigued me. "Protect Tails?"

He nods, turning and tossing the knife into the sink. "Yeah… With her being so much older than him, and with her attitude and all, plus knowing that she didn't like him at all like that…I decided to go out with her so he wouldn't be heartbroken from her."

Wait, that meant… "So, you took the fault for it instead of Fiona? Why would you do that?"

He shrugs and leans over the counter with his elbows resting on it, staring at his sandwich as if it held the meaning of life. Another metaphor; namely a simile. "I rather him be mad at me then at the girl he was so in love with. It would be easier for him that way, instead of totally breaking his heart and his love life."

So, Sonic had saved Tails's love. "He would be more focused on being mad with you, than Fiona…" That, was smart. Sad, but smart.

Sonic nods grimly, before standing up and grabbing the plate with his sandwich on it. "Yeah, that's pretty much the gist of it." He pauses in his words as he walks around the counter to sit on a stool next to me, and his voice lowers to a mutter. "Even though in the end Fiona had to go and ruin everyone's lives…"

So the sacrifice was for nothing, it seems. "Are you going to try and talk with him?"

He frowns and picks up one half of his meal. "I hope to try, but he really hates me now, so I don't know what good that'll do…" Doubtful.

"I doubt he hates you, Sonic," I say firmly as he takes a bite of his food. "With everything you've done for him; I think you two just need to talk it out. Tell him why you did what you did."

"Someday," he responded softly. He didn't want to talk about it anymore.

We sat in silence for a moment, while he finished off his sandwich, not bothering to speak. It was only after he had stood up and thrown his plate away that he spoke to me again. "You still never really answered my question."

What? "What do you mean?" I ask. He frowns, leaning over the counter again, but closer to me this time. "Why you're helping me? You skimmed over it, but never fully answered me." I stare at him for a moment, noticing how pretty his emerald eyes are. He was only but about six inches away from me, patiently awaiting my answer.

"You've helped me more than numerous times," I start, catching his attention all the more, "and I consider you a good friend. No one else seems to be looking after you, and I as I said before, I'm worried about you. I just want to help you."

He blinks, staring at me, and bites his lip again. A habit of his that I am now quickly catching on about. He stands up straight now, giving me a tiny smile. "Thanks, Nicole. That means a lot, but you don't have to do that for me, you know."

I smile sadly at him. "Even a hero like you needs someone to look after them, Sonic."

He laughs lightly, a very, pleasing melody to the depressing feel of the air. "Only me I guess, with all the trouble I get into."

I stand up and smooth out the purple robes I wore, before smiling softly towards him. "Don't worry about it. I enjoy looking after you, and any way that I can help, I will."

There was a light, pink, modest coloring to his cheeks, and he chuckles, scratching behind one of his blue ears. "Well, I'm not gonna tell you not to, but you don't have to. I appreciate it, but I can handle it on my own."

I have to say it. "You've become very modest over the years."

His face darkens slightly and he shakes his head. "I don't know what you're talking about…"

I couldn't help but laugh myself. His blushing was adorable; he was very flustered now. "I really enjoy it," I say.

He smiles sheepishly, and shrugs. "Eh, I still don't know…"

It felt nice knowing he was in a slightly better mood because of me. To know that I can help him, was very pleasing, very satisfying, and I'm only going to do it more in the future to come. "Why don't you get some rest?" I ask now, making him blink. "I can find something for you to do tomorrow, so you're not bored out of your mind?" Another metaphor, but as a question.

He smiles knowingly. "Yeah, that'll be nice. I don't know about sleeping now though…Does this house have any movies?"

I smile, and gesture for him to follow me out of the kitchen and into the living room. I point to the entertainment system, with the television on the wall, and the stand beneath it. There were consoles, games, and movies there for him. He smiles seeing this. "Wow, you really went all out for me. Thanks."

I shrug now, still smiling brightly. "You're more than welcome. If you need anything, just call for me. I'll see you in the morning?"

He turns his eyes to me and smiles. "Yeah, I'll see you."

He fell asleep later around two in the morning, hugging a pillow on the couch. I placed a blanket over him, and heard him mutter something about losing a race. I now have a certain GUN agent on the phone. I have an idea to keep Sonic busy tomorrow, and my agent thankfully, and surprisingly seems up for it.

Another metaphor.


	3. Two: Laziness Murder Waffles and Eggman

**Two: Laziness, Murder, Waffles, and Eggman**

 _~Sonic~_

It was twelve in the afternoon when I woke up. This was the first time I've actually slept in for quite a while. Being the second leader of the Freedom Fighters, and never knowing when Eggman or any other goon could show up, I have to stay up and ready for anything at all times. I've become a light sleeper because of it, and I'm never fully relaxed. For me to sleep so hard and so long, was all kinds of weird for me. Maybe I'm getting sick or something. I really hope not. I hardly ever get sick, but when I do, it gets _terrible_.

Maybe I'm just exhausted, that could be it too. There's been too many stressful events occurring lately, that I can feel it starting to weigh me down. That's not good. I need to get away from here, go on a run or something. A long one at that. Nicole said she was going to find me something to do today…I really hope it's somewhere away from here and this city and its people.

I'm lying on my back on the couch, with a blanket that randomly showed up sometime, halfway covering me and hanging onto the floor, hugging a small pillow. I feel horrible. I want to get up, but I just don't have the motivation to. I need to get up…like now. I really don't want to…

I just wanna lay here all day, all night; forever and ever. For all eternity…but I want to run. I want to run so badly, but I don't want to get up.

Ugh…

Maybe I'll just wait for Nicole to show up and drag me up. I have absolutely no motivation to do it by myself. Gods, I'm getting lazy...not a good thing for the fastest thing alive.

Then my doorbell rings.

Nicole would have just materialized here, so that means someone other than her is here.

Great. Life just loves me.

With a groan of distress I push myself up, letting the pillow I was hugging and the blanket on my lap fall to the floor. I was only wearing my socks, ugh, I forgot to take them off before I fell asleep, and my shoes were all the way upstairs…ugh…

My doorbell goes off again, and I find myself glaring at the door. Or the person behind it. Whatever. Whoever it is, is in for an attitude though.

I slowly push myself up, staggering around the pillow and blanket, around the coffee table, and slump my way over to the door, rubbing my eyes. I had shut the curtains last night, but it was still bright in here, and my eyes just could not handle it right now. I stop in front of the door, reaching for the handle with a yawn, before the damn bell goes off again, scaring the shit out of me.

This means war.

I grab ahold of the knob and rip the door open, glaring at whoever dared to disturb my laziness.

I was not expecting to see Shadow standing there…

…and he looked worried.

What…am…I…on…?

We stared at each other, me contemplating the creation of the universe, while he only seemed to grow more concerned. So…this is what Nicole has planned for me? He might as well be holding my tomb stone. _RIP Sonic the Hedgehog. He loved chili dogs and running. Fought a giant, egg-shaped human for a living. Died from banging his head against the wall too much. His final words were, "Please let me reincarnate as a bystander…" over and over._

"Sonic?"

I'm snapped out of the thoughts of my funeral, when he suddenly speaks up. I have to admit, as hard as it is to surprise me, I am very surprised right now. I wonder if I look angry, I mean, I _was_ planning the murder of whoever kept ringing my doorbell just seconds before, but when I zone out, my face goes blank. "Shadow…" I find myself saying.

His brows furrow together slightly, one of his black ears flicking backwards. "Are you busy?"

Yes, I was busy being lazy and thinking about murder. "No," I say nonchalantly. He frowns, and for a small second I'm wondering if he just read my thoughts. I hope not. "Well," he starts off, seemingly carefully, "GUN has located one of the doctor's bases, and there appears to be two Chaos Emeralds stored there."

Oh really now? This was perfect. Thanks Nicole. "And?" I ask, feeling a smirk tempting to grow on my muzzle. He blinks at me, before letting a small smirk of his own grow. "We head out to meet Rouge in an hour."

He knows me so well. "Then let me get ready real quick," I start, turning away from the door. I assumed he would come in, and he did, looking around. I'm starting to feel better already. I like working with Shadow. Last time he came to me, he, Rouge and I took down one of Egghead's laser weapon things that would've caused a lot of trouble. He had to take off his inhibitors to destroy it, and the entire time I was having some bad flashbacks. I'm glad I caught him this time…

…but we've been like friends since, so I'm glad for that. I guess it isn't too much of a surprise that he looked (looks?) worried about me. I'd be worried about him too. Not that I would admit that of course, but still.

I head into the kitchen, thinking of food suddenly. I need to eat something before I head out, otherwise I'll be regretting it halfway through the mission. _Last_ time I went out before eating, I blacked out, and Knuckles had to carry me. Horrible, horrible times. We don't talk about it. (Even though it was Sally's fault, because she was rushing me to get there. I wasn't even awake yet and I'm fighting another one of Eggman's monstrosities.)

I don't look, but I know Shadow is standing in the doorway to the kitchen, leaning against the door frame. I smile as I open up the fridge, letting my eyes fall on the eggs. I shall make French toast. With cinnamon. Gotta have the cinnamon…and sugar. Loads of it.

Pulling the egg container out, I turn around, letting the stainless steel fridge door close on its own. I glance over at Shadow, who was watching me, interested in what I was doing. "Did Nicole call you?" I decide to ask, since I had his attention. I didn't see his nod, but I know him well enough. "Yes. Said you needed something to do today."

I smile, setting the eggs on the counter and turning around to get a pan out of the island cabinets. "I figured so. She said she would find me something, and I have to say, I'm really happy with what she got."

He raised a brow at me, but gave me a small smile. Very rare. I hardly ever see Shadow's smile. Rouge says she only sees it when Shadow is with me, but I only think she's saying that just to mess with him. I secretly think she's planning something. He needs someone as playful and as optimistic as her around.

I grab the pan I need and turn back around, setting it on the right burner closest to me. I turn it on to medium, before I turn back to the fridge to grab the butter. What else do I need? Eggs, butter…I need bread, the cinnamon, sugar, milk, vanilla…yeah I think that's it.

Shadow responds back to my earlier statement. "Nothing like pissing the doctor off to make you feel better?"

I had to laugh at that, as I grab the butter and milk and shut the fridge myself, before turning around to grin at him. "Oh yeah. It's a great stress-reliever, especially when there's a Chaos Emerald involved."

I walk back to the stove, setting the dairy products on the counter beside it, before I reach up to grab a mixing bowl out of the cabinet above me. Nicole was nice enough to show me where everything was in here. I close the cabinet and set the bowl down, before opening a small drawer to my right and grabbing a whisk.

"Well," I hear him say, just as I'm getting a plate out for the bread, "If we manage to get both emeralds, one of them is yours."

 _Sa-weet._ "Nice. That'll sure come in handy. Might be helpful for Nicole, with our power supply and all." I can bet it'll be a lot easier on her. I'll make sure that emerald has her name on it. Hell, I'll carve it in there. She's running a whole city for Chaos's sakes!

Shadow nods, before turning and lightly flicking the doorway he leaned against. "This place is made out of nanites?"

I nod my head, opening the wooden bread container on the counter, grabbing four pieces, and then tossing them on the plate. "Yeah. They come from that A.D.A.M. we all had to deal with."

He looks up at me now. "That was right after you got back…"

I nod again. He remembers. "Yeah, that's it. Nicole re-wrote them out to her commands, and she now controls them. It took her a long while though. She has my respect."

"So she's now in control of this place?" he asks. I glance at him and smile. "As in control as she can be. The Acorn family has kind of been a pain for her, not to mention the hate she's been getting as of late."

He raises a brow. "What hate?"

I turn away from him and start cracking eggs into the mixing bowl. I'm not surprised he's concerned. She did help him see into Gerald's diary, and see Maria again. Hell, he had been _crying_. "Beats me. People are kind of uncomfortable with her being in control of everything. Saying as how she sees and hears everything that goes on around here. A privacy sort of thing."

"Sounds childish," he states, and I have to agree. After all the things she's done for us, she deserves unimaginable amounts of respect. After all, if it wasn't for her, Eggman would have beaten us. That day was horrible. We don't talk about that either.

I only nod in agreement, as I pour the milk in the bowl, along with the cinnamon and sugar. I whisk it together quickly, dip the bread in it, and then throw the four pieces on the pan, which was now heated up. I then turn to the sink, to rinse off the dishes, before placing them neatly in the dishwasher. I would never admit to a living being that I have an organization issue. It comes with being so hyperactive and all that jazz. My uncle used to tell me it's because I would get so bored, that I would start cleaning everything, and making everything "perfect". After a while of it, I sort of developed a problem with it, so now everything I do is at "perfection". The reason I will never, ever speak of it to anyone, is because I know for a fact that I would be made fun of for it. Especially from Sally. Definitely from Sally.

Shadow and I were both quiet now, and I almost forgot he was here. I flip the French toast after cleaning up the counters and closing the dishwasher, and then I stand, and wait. The only thing I hate about cooking, is waiting. Precisely why I decided to make French toast. It only takes about ten minutes total. Real quick, and filling, and _very_ good…

…I kind of want waffles. I'll make those tomorrow.

Or maybe I'll have them for dinner.

Yes, I like that idea.

"Are you okay?"

I jump out of my thoughts when Shadow asks the random question. Am I okay? "Yeah, I mean I think so…" I say quickly. I really don't want to think about it…still…it was nice of Shadow to ask.

He raises a brow, and I turn away from him, turning off the burner and using the black spatula to slide the toast onto my plate. I can feel his eyes on me, and I refuse to look at him, for the sake of my pride. Now I know that he really _is_ worried about me. I guess he actually considers me a friend? If he's worried about me that is...I mean, I don't see any reason why he would agree to Nicole's request, inviting me on his mission, giving me (hopefully) one of the Chaos Emeralds (if we get it), and then asking me if I'm okay. That's a good feeling. That Shadow's comfortable with me. I know how hard it is to earn his trust. If I wasn't feeling so out of it at the moment, I might have said something about it to boost my ego, but I still don't have that kind of motivation in me yet. I'm just so lazy…

I buttered my breakfast, poured a little too much syrup on there by accident, because my mind was wandering again, and then sat down and ate. Real quick, because I want to shower and then leave as soon as possible. Might save me from an awkward moment or two with my rival/friend here, although I have a feeling Shadow would actually listen to me rant and my feelings without judging me. He just has that, "I don't give a hoot" attitude, but in a good way. Like he likes you for who you are and stuff. Maybe it has something to do with his past. That's understandable. Maybe we have more in common than I thought.

When I finish eating, I rush to the sink and rinse my dishes off, get the soap and start the dishwasher, and then dash passed Shadow through the doorway and up the flight of stairs, into my room directly at the top. I don't even bother to shut the door, and run into my bathroom. Quick shower, and then we'll go.

* * *

Okay when I said a quick shower, I meant like a kind of an only-few-minutes-shorter-than-my-average-shower shower…

Alright…I take pretty long showers. Hot ones too. I cannot _stand_ showers any cooler than scolding hot, because I hate water as it is already, and I like to enjoy my showers.

So by the time I came back down the steps, twenty minutes had passed. I was kind of expecting Shadow to be irritated with me, but instead he looked content. He probably knew that I needed that; time to relax and fully wake up and motivate myself and totally not cry or anything because that's not something I do…

…ever…

…and I think he could tell I was feeling better, and so he didn't want to ruin that. Right? I mean, that's what I would do…but who knows with Shadow, but I would hope that he thinks that…

Why do I feel so giddy?

He asks me if I'm ready to go, so I say "Of course!" with a smile and thumbs up, like usual. I'm honestly really excited to get out. Get Chaos Emeralds, piss off Eggbreath, hang out with Shadow, maybe race around a bit; fun stuff.

I open my front door with a positive view on life, ready to take on the world, fight anything…

…when my foot hits something.

I blink and look down, feeling my adrenaline pump up –a habit I've gotten from over the years, in case something bad happens– and then freeze. A box, no three boxes, all different sizes, a note, and a plate of chocolate chip cookies. I bend down and pick the note up, written in pretty blue, cursive writing, and I couldn't help but smile softly. I recognized Vanilla's handwriting immediately.

 _Dear Sonic,_

 _I know how hard you've had it these past few weeks, and Cream, Cheese and I just wanted to let you know that we're here for you. If you ever need anything, sweetheart, please stop by anytime. You are always welcomed here._

 _Vanilla_

She's too sweet.

"What's up?" Shadow asks, stepping on the patio beside me to look at the note in my hands. I smile and bend down, picking up the gifts feeling even more giddy than I did just moments before. "Vanilla, Cream, and Cheese sent me some stuff. Those girls are always so nice to me, and I still don't understand why."

I walk back in and set the stuff on the bench beside my front door, before locking it behind me and stepping back outside with Shadow. He was giving me a strange look; with one raised brow, one bent ear to the side, eyes twitching just barely noticeably. "What?" I ask, and he could only sigh and shake his head. "You were being serious... You're incredibly naïve, you know that?"

What? What was I being serious about? I frown, and the confusion must be obvious, because he shakes his head again. "Let's just go. We have about fifteen to twenty minutes to get there."

I grin and begin bouncing down the steps, deciding to drop whatever the heck that had been before. "Oh, boo. You say that like I'm _not_ the fastest thing alive."

He smirks and walks beside me, and I can already feel the challenge coming off of him like an aura. "You're not. I am."

It's. About. To. Go. Down.

I throw my arms up in the air dramatically, ignoring the frequent stares from other citizens I was getting. "Please! You'll be the fastest thing alive the day I die!"

"You want to see about that, faker?" he asks, and now I'm super excited, because a challenging race with one of my greatest rivals is something like a birthday present.

I need to get in contact with Knuckles one of these days, and soon.

"Sure, but you might not wanna push yourself too hard; you might bust one of your skates." I know that's something that ticks him; he needs his skates to move as fast as I do. He's just durable enough to be able to use them.

He rolls his eyes. "As long as you don't run into anything because you're not paying attention, _again._ "

He better not be talking about the time I dozed off while we were running. I slammed headfirst into about twenty-two trees, hurled over at least a dozen rocks, before I came to a stop in a river. Yeah, chalk that up with our Things We Don't Talk About list.

"Whatever. Let's just go!" I wave him off.

"Denial is the first stage."

"Shadow, I will _punt_ you."

"You can't run from the past."

"How ironic coming from you."

"Don't change the subject."

"Shadow…"

"Did you want to talk about your feelings?"

I forgot how much Shadow likes to mess with me. I turn and give him a devilish grin. "No, but I could use a hug…" I say, holding out my arms and trying to get close to him, making a kissy-face to emphasize my point.

He chuckles and pushes me away. "Alright, alright. Let's go."

Who said Shadow didn't have a sense of humor? He's a teddy bear!

* * *

"God _dammid!"_

Okay, a teddy bear with some foul language, but there's always room for improvement…

"I'b gonna fucgging kill him!"

Every teddy bear has a dark side…

"I'll deflade him wid a bulled hole ub hiz ass!"

One of life's many lessons is to never piss a bear off...

Shadow was currently enraged because, really funny, he had been paying too much attention to the scanner in his hand to notice the upcoming pole, with an Eggman logo printed neatly on it.

The sound of him hitting it was that of a gong, and as funny as it was, I had also been quite concerned for him. We were moving through the base at a speed of at _least_ three-hundred miles per hour. Now Shadow had a trail of blood running down from his nose, and was talking super funny. "Dis isn'd funny!"

I had to laugh now; of course it was funny. "Oh, suck it up, Mr. Ultimate Life. You've been hit harder."

I think he's just embarrassed from doing something like that. It reminded me of his teasing me earlier, and I couldn't help but grin. "Besides, it's just karma getting you back."

He glares the fiery depths of hell at me through blazing red eyes, still holding his poor snout. "Shud. Ub."

I laugh once more, seeing an opportunity to rub it in even more. "Denial is the first stage…"

He swings to punch me with his other hand, still holding the Chaos Emerald scanner. I laugh and jump back, before I lean forward with my hands on my knees to get a better look at his red face. "Oh, come on! You'll be fine, and you can kill Eggman later," I pause and he sighs, looking at the scanner with a scowl, "but we're kind of in the middle of one of his super dangerous bases at the moment, and kind of need to find two Chaos Emeralds."

Which was true, and we both knew it. We were standing on some kind of runway that carried boxes of robo-cargo throughout the place, right beside where he slammed into that pole. The belt we stood on wasn't moving; probably shut down for some time, considering the amount of dust on it, so we were standing still. Where we were, we could see other parts of the base: other belts carrying robots and supplies, while claws from the ceiling carried the larger, metallic monstrosities. The walls were made out of dark-grey, steel plates that were probably meant to be hedgehog-proof. There were other walls made of super thick glass, which showed through to other rooms where robot parts were being welded together. Floating, spherical eye-bots flew around with cameras and lights, scanning even the most reclusive areas for any could-be intruders. The ceiling was tall and high enough for probably even Perfect Chaos to have a party in here with his other godly friends or something, and this place _felt_ just as big as the ARK itself About half of the base –the area we needed to get to– was underground, and trying to find the path there was becoming a pain in the butt. Still, we were already really far into the base, so stopping here wasn't exactly a good idea.

"Come on," I call and turn, about to continue the path we were heading down. His scowl remains, but he thankfully follows me anyway.

We take of running/skating again, Shadow this time paying more attention to where he was going instead of the scanner. The beeping from the device seemed to be going faster the further we went, and I was beginning to get hopeful. We jumped off the old runway and turned right down another one below, before we hopped down to one on the left filled with broken down robot pieces: heads, arms, guns, and parts I didn't even recognize.

We stopped just before the melting chamber (where the pieces of robot fell into a cauldron of hot, hot, molten metals), and jumped up through a doorway on the wall above, where larger robots were being hauled through. We land on smooth floor, behind a series of tall shelves, and we stop a moment to watch one green colored robot be carefully placed on a pedestal, before tools like drills and welders came down from the ceiling to work on it. Shadow then gestured to our right, and we took off again, not as fast this time, and a bit more careful than before. There were a lot more patrol bots in the section of the base…

I heard my rival beside me give a hard sniffle, probably trying to clear the blood from his nose, and I look over to see him wiping it with the back of his hand. He was probably healed by now, with that Chaos Energy of his. That's a plus of being able to use the stuff, I know.

"I'm picking up the first emerald; we need to take the shaft ahead, down," he explains. I nod and face forward, noticing the ventilation shaft up a few feet from us on an upcoming wall. I get ready, picking up speed, before launching myself forward straight into it, breaking the grate, and, not looking to see if Shadow was following me, I start sliding down the shaft to wherever it goes…

I land a few seconds later and somersault forward to kneel in a crouch, and just another second Shadow follows suit. We both stand, and take in the new hallway we now stood in.

It seemed we were in a much deeper part of the base than what we've been through before. It was illuminated by bright white lights on the ceiling, and the walls and floor were stainless steel; rising about ten feet high. The hallway itself was wide, and to our left it met another one like a T, and to our right it travelled down for a while before stopping at a corner and turning to the left. There were few doors lining the walls on the way down, including the one in front of us, but not too big or fancy. I look to Shadow with one raised brow, waiting for our next directions. He played with a dial on the side of the handheld device, before pointing to our left. "We take a left here, go down, take a right, and the first emerald should be in a vault somewhere at the end."

I stretch my arms up into the air above my head and grin, beginning to walk down the hallway with soft, metal taps of my shoes. "Alright, sounds good. Do you know where the other one is?"

He frowns and studies the scanner, pressing a few buttons on the side. "I'm not sure yet; I can feel its energy, but I can't see it on the scanner."

I could feel it too, but if it wasn't on the scanner, meant that it must have been moved somewhere safer. Hopefully still in this base. "Meh, we'll find it. Let's just go get the first one and move on."

He frowns, letting his arm fall to his side. "Fine, but we need to be ready for anything. Once we take this first emerald, we're bound to set off the alarms. It'll be harder to get the other emerald."

I nod, frowning lightly myself. "I'm sure we can handle it."

He lets out a thoughtful hum, and we begin heading down the next hallway, slowly at first, before we begin jogging a bit faster. "There aren't any cameras…" I hear him say quietly, as if thinking out loud. I take a look up and around as we go, and frown. That's weird…

"You think this is a trap?" I ask, and he looks at me concerned. "Maybe, maybe not. It's highly possible, so we need to be very, very careful."

Always. This _was_ Eggman's base we were in…

"I hear ya," I answer seriously.

We continued to move through, before turning right down the last hallway. No robot guards. Nothing. It's like he was so cocky about his base that he decided that he didn't need anything down here. It was beginning to get eerie, and now I'm starting to get worried.

When we get to the end of the hallway, the vault with the Chaos Emerald stood tall above us, its door large, most likely five feet thick, and a strange metallic black. There was a control panel in the wall beside it, a terminal to be exact. The Eggman logo was flashing red on the screen, with a black background to emphasize it. Shadow glares at it as if it was the cause of his already-healed broken nose. That logo is probably gonna be implanted in his head for the rest of his immortal life, especially since his face slammed into it at three-hundred miles per hour. "I can try and hack it," he said, "but if not, we'll just do it the old fashioned way."

I couldn't help but grin. "What makes ya think I couldn't hack it, hmm?"

He rolls his eyes, before handing me the scanner. "Just keep watch."

I frown now. Why did everyone always underestimate me? Now I actually _want_ to hack it. I let out a frustrated sigh and lean against the wall on my right, crossing my arms with the scanner in my left hand. I feel like people forget who built the Tornado. Who said I didn't know anything about technology?

Okay…maybe I have, but I only do it because I don't want that kind of attention. I'm already the fastest thing alive, and people say my ego is too big for my head. I'm considered _stupid_ to a lot of people.

What they don't realize, is that I only act that way. Being the fastest thing alive, my head processes things a lot faster and more durable than anyone, even Tails or Eggman. If I really wanted to, I could teach myself a whole ton of things and I'd probably be smarter than either of those two. I've done it before, and I love to read. It's how I built my plane.

Nobody really needs to know that though. I don't want to get even more haters because I'm not only good at running fast. If I act stupid, I won't seem all that good, right? Pretend I don't know things, and keep this "ego" thing of mine up. This way, people don't have any more of a reason to spite me. Maybe, I think. I'm not sure when I think of it like that…

"Fuck it. Let's just blow the door down," I hear Shadow curse, and I couldn't help but chuckle and grin. I turn to face him and toss him the scanner. "About time. We're gonna get caught anyway once we take the emerald."

He nods, and we both take a few steps back…

…before launching straight at the door with the force of a cannonball.

The door practically explodes open, pieces flying across the room as the rest of it falls down with a loud crash and bang that shook the entire place. Just as said, the alarms started going off.

Remember how we didn't see any robots around? Well that's because they're in the walls.

The large plates of metal on either side of the hallway behind us slide open, and a _large_ number of tall, black, large SWATbots came storming out. These were new; I've never seen these ones before. It's like he's going back to the old style, but deadlier and more modernized. Classic Eggman.

Deciding that standing around was probably not the best idea right now, we both head forward to the capsule where the bright, glowing, silver Chaos Emerald floated. Shadow broke the capsule with a clean fist, grabbed the emerald, and then turned, his eyes falling on his scanner. "The emerald is helping the scanner locate the other emerald… We need to get to the other side of this part of the base!"

I nod, before getting into a runner's crouch. The robots were now piling in the room, guns raised. Too bad these things didn't have brains. They'd know that I'm about to rip 'em to shreds. Before I'm even able to do that, however, a new voice sounds over the hidden PA system, and boy, does he sound _angry_.

"I should have figured going underground would bring me a few _rats!_ Do you really think you can just come down here and take _my_ emerald?!" came the rage-filled screams of the wonderful doctor himself. I look at Shadow with a half-eye-lidded grin, and he smirks in return. Then I seem to process something…

…did he just call me a rat?

I narrow my eyes just slightly, still grinning. "Better be careful with what you call me, Eggbreath. Last guy who called me a rat, ended up trapped in a lamp."

"You don't tell me what to do, rodent! Now hand over the Chaos Emerald _, before I torch you to fried bits!"_ he bellowed, and I roll my eyes.

"As fat of a chance as you, Eggman."

 _"_ _DESTROY HIM!"_

On that note, the robots began firing at us.

* * *

 ** _A/N: I have to thank everyone for the kind reviews I've gotten so far, and with only two chapters! I'm really glad you guys like the story :)_**

 ** _Anywho, as you will see, the different points of view in this story are going to have their own styles. While Nicole's is more focused and formal, Sonic's is more spaced out and has a lot of moments where he sort of rambles on, and probably more comical. I'm doing this so you guys can get a feel of both characters, what their feelings and thoughts are and such. They may tell the same things differently, and that gives you room to see things as a third party._**


	4. Three: Robotization

**Three: Robotization**

 _~Sonic~_

I grabbed him the moment I saw him. With all the strength I could muster, I yank him down to where I sat, hunched and out of view. He lets out an 'oomph' of surprise, and I only chuckle in response. "What's up?"

He glares at me. "This isn't funny, faker." He freezes and looks at me incredulously. "You were hit?"

I was hit? Looking down at myself, I just now notice the, might I say, _large_ trail of blood making it's way down my torso from my right side. "Oh," was all I could manage to say, before I lift a hand to poke it. "Ow."

"Dumbass," Shadow shakes his head, but he had a smirk growing over his muzzle. I hadn't even realized I had been shot. Another beautiful benefit of Chaos Energy.

The alarms were still sounding like crazy, and Eggman's robots were everywhere looking for us. We were hiding behind a short wall, that served as some kind of railing it looked like, going down the hallway. Shadow sat back against the wall with his legs out, and I continued to crouch on my knee. "So..." I drawl out, bringing his attention to me. "What's the plan?"

He sighs and sits up, as if he were hoping to just sit there a bit longer. He almost mirrors my position and crouches in front of me, holding up his wrist communicator to pull up a map of the place. I lean forward and frown at it, while he points to a small, particular room. "Here's our emerald..." he murmurs, before gesturing to another area, "...and we're here."

I nod. "So we go down, that way," I point down the left side of the hallway, "and go from there?"

"Pretty much," he shrugs. "So much for stealth."

I can't help myself, and I grin. "Kinda makes you ramming into that pole all for nothing, then."

He glares daggers of hell at me, subconsciously rubbing his nose. "Shut up. That wasn't funny."

My grin grows. "You know it was."

He turns his head and avoids my look, peeking over the wall to see if it was clear. "Only if it were you, hedgehog; now let's go."

I roll my eyes at his denial, before pushing myself to my feet. I take a look up and down the corridor. Well that's weird...the alarms were still going off like crazy, but there were no robots around. Shadow gives me a strange look, before he looks around as well. I raise an eyebrow at him. "You just wanna yolo it?"

He shrugs. "I guess."

We both take off down the hallway at the same second, keeping alongside each other evenly. This...is why I liked working with Shadow. Everything was simple, easy, and fast. I'm gonna have to thank Nicole like crazy when we get back...

We make a few turns here and there, and I can't help but wonder where all the robots went. There's only a few things that give me the creeps, and one of them is when Eggman goes quiet. Shadow seemed to be on edge as well, his eyes darting down every room and hall we passed for any surprise attack. Nothing. Nada. Something was definitely up.

"Heads up," I hear him say next to me, and as I focus forward, I recognized the vault for the other Chaos Emerald.

It was open.

"Stop!" I call, and we immediately skid to a halt in front of it, our eyes narrowed. The emerald sat perched like a trophy on its little pedestal, a glass dome around it just like in the other vault. Shadow scowls. "That might not even be the real emerald..." he suggests.

"Oh, no," I say, assured. "It's the real deal. I know a fake emerald when I feel one." He smirks at that statement, and I continue. "Plus, Egghead's too cocky to set up a trap with a fake emerald."

He gives me a curious look. "So...?"

I knew what this was. We both knew it was a trap, but only I knew what kind of trap it was. The moment either of us sets foot in there, the room's gonna go straight into lockdown. Chaos Control wouldn't be fast enough to grab the emerald and go...and no doubt that Eggbreath has some kind of energy trap in there too.

"I'd have to be fast enough to grab it..." I finish my thoughts out loud, looking over at Shadow who now wore a tight frown. By the look on his face, I can tell he was thinking the same thing. I meet his eyes, before shrugging and turning around, taking a few steps back, before swirling around and getting into a runner's position. "No," he says promptly, folding his arms over his chest.

I chuckle. "What? Worried I'll get caught? Remember who you're talking to," I wink. He sighs and pinches the skin between his eyes. "You do realize he already knows what you're going to do. Let's just leave it, faker."

...but it was right there! And who's to say I'm not fast enough to grab it?

"It's a challenge at your ego, Sonic. Let it go."

I frown, pursing my lips in thought. I could do it. I'm the fastest thing alive...

...but no doubt Eggman was watching me right now.

With a dramatic sigh I push myself to my feet. "Oh, whatever...let's just go already then."

Shadow gives me a suspicious look, but nods anyhow. We turn to begin heading down the hallway, before I let a small grin curve my lips.

Did he really think I was going to just walk away?

I ignore Shadow's yell, praying to Chaos that this works, and turn back around in a flash and bolt inside the vault room. I snatch the emerald and dash back out, just as the entire room shut down, a large metal door closing behind me as I burst into the hallway. I hold the emerald up, triumphant, with a large grin on my face.

"Got it!"

Shadow lifts up a hand, and then smacks me in the back of the head. I stumble forward with my grin still plastered on my face, before catching myself and continuing to head down the hallway. "You're an idiot," he curses.

I laugh at that, trying to ignore the fact that my heart was pounding faster than normal. "Thank you, thank you..." I say with pride, bowing as I let him catch up to my pace. Yeah, I was only a little nervous that I wouldn't make it, but he didn't need to know that.

"Yo, Egghead!" I call, holding up the emerald with a smile and wave. "Your plan failed, as always!"

Shadow shakes his head. "Do you really have to piss him off more than what he already is?"

I frown at the lack of response from the normally vocal doctor. "Are you sure he isn't dead or something?"

The alarms turn off.

"Uhhh..." I start, as Shadow and I stop walking. My counterpart looks at me with worried frown. "Sonic...that emerald isn't fake..."

I hold it up and study it carefully. It really wasn't fake. You can't copy a specific Chaos Energy signature. It just isn't possible. I frown as I rotate the emerald in my hand, examining the bright yellow surface carefully. There.

A small, almost unnoticeable chip sat on the undersurface of the emerald. "No, but it's rigged," I say with a scowl. Shadow blinks in surprise. "With what?"

I wasn't able to respond right away, because suddenly an excruciating shock came from the emerald and got me right in the head.

* * *

 _~Nicole~_

Finally...

With the nanites not being fully completed, things were still a little unstable, but at least now I have all the data I need in order to finalize them. I'm still more than curious as to where and how Dr. Eggman got such technology, and why he hasn't tried to use it again. Surely the nanites would be of great use to him, not that I want him to use them. It just amazes me that he was able to develop such a highly advanced system that can form nearly any solid, liquid, and gas and still be maintained as one unit. Trillions and trillions of microscopic robots that could form into anything you programmed them to be... Beautiful.

I stand now in the large and vast space of the digital world, with a variety of monitors up in front of me. The single one that had my attention held a long list of binary numbers serving as the code for the nanites themselves. On the other monitors were different views of New Mobotropolis, allowing me to monitor the nanites in case something went awry.

I was also hearing a lot of things.

Sonic this, and Sonic that... Many rumors were flying about concerning the blue hedgehog and the events that had taken place only yesterday afternoon. People...were starting to doubt him.

Doubt him and his positive attitude, and how he could handle anything without a problem. How he was always so cheerful and good with everyone, and how he may secretly be up to something. It just...hurts to hear and see. After everything he's done for everyone...

I sigh, although no breath left my lips. All Sonic wants is to make people happy, and keep his planet alive and safe. Why does he receive so much pain for doing things so good?

I have never understood that about people. Why do they punish those who are pure of heart? Why must people hurt each other? What is their motive behind it, their purpose? For what goal are they trying to achieve by putting another in a place of misery and spite?

I swallow sadly. I may have been able to master emotions and feelings of a normal person, but I don't believe I will ever understand the way a normal person thinks.

With another breathless sigh, I wipe away the monitors with a quick sliding motion of my hand. I wonder how Sonic and Shadow are doing? Shadow didn't tell me much about the mission, just that they would hopefully be retrieving two Chaos Emeralds in the process. I just hope they're safe, and not being led into a trap...

 _"Bzzt...Nicole?"_

I look up at the new monitor that digitalized before me, and smile softly at my friend on the other side. "Yes, Sally?"

She wore a small frown, but did not seem angry. _"Do you know where Sonic is? I...wanted to talk with him, you know...about yesterday..."_

I had a feeling she would... "He left sometime this morning with Shadow."

Her eyes widen just slightly, but enough to show she was shocked by this matter. _"Again?"_

I nod. "I contacted Shadow yesterday to see if he would take Sonic out somewhere today. I just felt it would be better for Sonic to get out of the city and do something to ease his tension."

Sally hums, and I can tell she is thinking it over. _"I suppose. Do you know where they went?"_

"G.U.N. gave Shadow a mission to sneak into one of Dr. Eggman's bases to retrieve two Chaos Emeralds. That is all I know on the subject," I say firmly, yet carefully.

Just as I thought, her eyes narrowed, if just lightly. _"I hope they're okay, then. I wish you would've said something beforehand, though."_

Guilt was not an emotion I liked very much. With a worried frown I rub my cheek. "My apologies..."

She shakes her head and smiles. _"Oh, I guess it's fine. Sonic and Shadow are a good team...I'm sure they'll be fine."_

"I hope so," I answer honestly, but now doubting myself.

Sally gives me an odd look, one that I cannot describe. She almost looked...concerned, but as if she were trying to be in a good mood to mask that worry. _"How was he yesterday?"_

I frown, letting my ears fold down slightly. "He was upset, I could tell, and quieter than usual, but he seemed to hold himself up well."

Sally sighs and rubs her eyes, which I notice now are glossy. _"I feel terrible...I should've tried to talk with him. I've been horrible to him lately, and he doesn't deserve it."_

My curiosity was eating at me, and I can't help but ask: "Why have you been like this?"

She shakes her head again, and I can see she is fighting back tears. _"I don't know what's wrong with me. The people in Mobotropolis are cranky and irritated, and my father is putting a lot on both Elias and I... He wants me to start looking for a suitor, because he feels Elias has shamed our family... I think he's mad at me because I pushed Sonic away."_

That was a new one. "I thought your father didn't like Sonic?"

Sally frowns. _"N-No, that's just how he is with everyone! He_ wants _me to marry Sonic."_

"Then...why haven't you-?"

She interrupts me with almost a choked sob. _"Because I just... I don't think I could handle it, Nicole. Sonic means a lot to me, and I...I really do love him...but if something happened to him...and I don't think he could handle being a king...and I just..."_

She trails off, tears leaking from her eyes. I didn't know what to say. She had a lot of doubts when it came to Sonic. It was as if she had no confidence or trust in him.

Usually I knew what to say, and I feel I do now, but something was stopping me from saying it. I can't understand this feeling...

I sort of felt...irritated that she was being like this. Irritated that she was so...manic when it came to Sonic. This was the reason he didn't have the trust to have a relationship anymore. He deserves someone who can trust him, rely on him, but support him and his decisions.

Was that...me? Did I have feelings for Sonic? I wanted nothing more than to make him happy, to see him smile, and to help him in any way I can. Was this what...jealousy was? I didn't want Sally to be with Sonic?

What was wrong with me? Sally is my friend, and I should support her as well. I give her a reassuring smile. "Maybe you should talk with him, Sally. Really sit down and talk with him, about everything, and be open-minded about his feelings and thoughts."

She nods and wipes her tears away. _"Y-Yes... I need to do that... Thank you, Nicole..."_

I blink at her with a more confident smile. "Anytime, Sally."

She smiles in return, and opens her mouth to speak again, before a loud beeping cut her off.

 _"Nicole? This is Shadow, and we have a problem."_

Sally's eyes widen, and I feel a deep anxiety in my system. "What's wrong?"

 _"The doctor had a trap on the Chaos Emerald..."_ His voice cuts out to static, and Sally speaks up quickly and frantically now. _"Shadow? What happened?"_

There was some buzzing, and a loud curse from Shadow. Something that sounded like a crash echoed throughout the communicator, and I couldn't help but flinch. A loud, maniacal laughter that can only surpass as Dr. Eggman himself breaks out, and Shadow yells into the communicator.

 _"Sonic's been roboticized!"_


	5. Four: Mecha Sonic

**Four: Mecha Sonic**

 _~Nicole~_

The destruction was terrible. The Tornado carried us high over the remains of the Northwest Great Forest. We haven't seen Sonic or Shadow, and despite wanting to, we were also afraid to.

A part of me felt that it was my fault; I should've looked into the mission, the base, the emeralds...anything to help them, but I didn't.

"There!" a sudden exclamation from Knuckles, who we had picked up on the way here, pointed. Sally, Tails, Bunny, and I were here as well, and we all looked down worriedly. That...was Sonic?!

His cobalt blue fur was now a deep, shining metal frame, while his muzzle and stomach were a bright silver. His quills stuck out, sharp and dangerous, back and straight off his head. There were black rings around his wrists and ankles, and his shoes were black with a silver stripe down the middle, as if mocking his trademark red ones. His eyes were black, and his irises were red. He...looked a lot different than what he did the first time he was roboticized many years ago. He looked almost like Metal Sonic's Neo form, but...darker...scarier...

Eggman was there, floating in a pod, hooting with glee at his latest and most significant accomplishment. Shadow could be seen pushing himself, slowly and obviously painfully, off the ground to his feet, his eyes narrowed, but shock clearly written all over his face.

"Oh...man..." Tails murmurs, fear lining his tone and words. "This isn't good..."

Sally closes her eyes, before looking back down with a determined aura around her; her eyes narrowed and her mouth pulled into a tight frown. "Rotor says this chip should work in giving Sonic his self control back, we just have to attach it to him."

Knuckles nods and holds out his hand. "Then we'll try to get close enough to do so. Hopefully I won't have to roboticize myself this time around," he says, reminding us all of the first time something like this happened.

"Alright," Sally starts, "you two be careful."

Knuckles nods and jumps, and Bunny salutes her. "We'll get him, sugar," she says softly, before jumping down to join Knuckles and Shadow.

Eggman slams his hands down on his console in frustration as Knuckles and Bunny join Shadow, and he looks up to us with a dark glare. He turns and points to...to Sonic. "Get them, Mecha Sonic! Get all of them!"

The now robot hedgehog charges forward towards them, and I can only stare, frightened. Bunny and Shadow jumped out of the way, while Knuckles met Mecha Sonic head on, grabbing the hedgehog by his fists. The robot rears his leg back, before aiming it right at Knuckles's stomach. To our amazement, the echidna jumps up and just narrowly misses the hit, and while his feet aren't even touching the ground yet, Shadow runs forward and grabs Sonic from behind.

"No, no, no!" Eggman screams, and I can only wonder how his Eggmobile doesn't break under his slamming fists. Bunny charges forward and spins herself. "Sorry, sugarhog," she says, before kicking him hard enough to send him crashing through a few more trees. A buzzing noise sounded from him, and I feel another wave of worry hit me.

"They can't damage him too much!" I say quickly, and Sally nods. "Just wait. I think Knuckles got the chip on him during their struggle."

"Get up!" Eggman yells, and we all watch with growing suspense as the metal hedgehog pushes himself up to his feet.

His eyes were no longer red.

They were blue now, and he turned those blue eyes to glare at Eggman. The doctor froze, and hope grew in my system. "Humph!" Sonic exclaimed, before jumping up and kicking the doctor's Eggmobile so hard, it shot away like a bullet across the sky. "Yes!" Sally cheers, and Tails smiled brightly. "All right, Sonic!"

The Tornado lands in the scorched grass below, and we hop off, all running to Sonic and the others worriedly but happily. Shadow crosses his arms, looking almost guilty. "Are you okay?"

Sonic frowns, holding up his hand to glare at it. "Well, better than the first time I guess..."

The black and red hedgehog sighs, and Sonic gives him a stern look. "I'm fine, don't worry too much about it."

Sally frowns. "We'll need to build another de-roboticizer, Sonic."

The blue hedgehog shakes his head, and Shadow coughs awkwardly. "That won't work."

We all look at him confused. "What do you mean it won't work?" I ask.

Shadow sighs. "The chip that roboticized him isn't normal..."

Sally looks over at me. "Nicole, can you scan him?"

I nod and focus my energy into my handheld, which Sally held up promptly. A green light scanned Sonic head to toe and back up again, and I could only stare at the results in horror. "Oh, no..."

Sonic crossed his arms with a scowl, and the group now looked at me worriedly "What?" Knuckles asks.

I look at Sonic with fear. "The chip is programmed with a code I have never even seen before. Trying to figure out a way to reverse not only the coding, but this robotization is nothing we have the technology for nor heard of...and..."

They all look at me worriedly, waiting for me to continue. I swallow nervously. "...and... The chip shocked him into a very critical level before he was roboticized. If we were able to reverse it...there's a good chance that he would..."

I can't even say it.

Sonic was silent and unreadable, his eyes focused on nothing in particular as he stared ahead in thought. Shadow shakes his head. "No, he wouldn't... His Chaos Energy is too strong for it to kill him."

"The chances are very high," I say, feeling my eyes water. "If his energy was able to keep him alive, he'd most likely fall into a coma... The damage is just too severe..."

"W-Well..." Bunny starts, ruffling the hair atop her head. "Ah mean...a coma is better than being dead?" She wasn't sure of herself.

Tails pulls on my hand. "If...If we were able to somehow get the code or some kind of translator for it, could we somehow reverse this?"

I think about it. "We could try if there is some kind of translator. If he went through all the trouble to make a whole new code just for Sonic...I don't know how good of a chance we will have."

"Well we have a chance," Knuckles says. Shadow speaks up. "Rouge and I will see if we can find anything. We won't stop until we do."

"Sonic?" Sally says softly, bringing the quiet hedgehog's attention to her. "I think you should see your uncle Chuck... He might be able to make something of this..."

Sonic only nods, but says nothing. Tails runs over to him and takes his hand, leading him over to the Tornado. "We'll fix this, Sonic!" the fox cheers with hope and confidence. "There's always a way!" A soft smile grew on the metal muzzle of Sonic, as he ruffled the fox's bangs. "Of course."

As the two brothers continued to talk amongst themselves, the rest of us exchange anxious looks. How much worse could things get?

* * *

 _~Sonic~_

When my uncle Chuck was roboticized, he said he could see everything he did, but couldn't control it. When I was roboticized last time, I couldn't see a thing. This time, I barely remember the base Shadow and I were in before it happened.

I feel terrible.

We decided to stop in our old base in Knothole, to not raise attention in the city. That was the last thing I needed right now. I already had enough problems, I don't want everyone freaking out because I was turned into a robot.

I feel disgusting.

Tails kept talking to me, trying to cheer me up and reassure me that we would fix this...and I love him all the more for it. It's just...I don't feel that way. I...I feel like my father for some stupid, twisted reason. He's stuck as a robot forever, because if we tried to save him, he would die. Now, father like son, I'm just like him. The thought is driving me insane.

I feel...

I don't even know what I feel anymore. Eggman got me. He actually got me. How am I supposed to protect Mobius, if I can't protect myself? When everyone finds out...how will they ever believe in me again?

I feel angry and upset and pissed and frustrated all at once, and I'm pretty sure Shadow could feel it in my Chaos Energy, with the way he was looking at me. Tails was still talking, but I drowned out everything he said.

If they were somehow able to help me, I would either die, or go into a coma. Either way, Eggman would use it to his advantage and take over Mobius. We would lose...and so would everything we've worked so hard for.

"Sonic?'

I turn my attention to Tails, who was already out of the Tornado. When did we land? He was staring at me with those bright, innocent, blue, hopeful eyes of his.

I force a smile on my face and hop down off the wing. "Heh, sorry. I dozed off."

He smiles in return and takes my hand again, pulling me towards the base. Sally was talking to my now panicking uncle, Shadow and Knuckles were discussing some things, and Bunny was standing next to Nicole quietly. Nicole was watching me sadly, and I just had to give her a small smile. She returns it, but I can tell she's really upset. Tails was babbling again to me as he pulled me in the base.

I was going to make it through this. I had to. Everyone was upset, and Tails was just so hopeful, and Nicole's face...I've never seen her so upset.

I swallow my doubts and frustration. Everything was going to be okay. No matter what happened.


	6. Five: What If

**Notes-**

 _It's…been a long time. The only reason I kept this story up was because so many people have been requesting it, and I couldn't do that to sixty some people. Thanks to your guys' continued support, I've kept the story up and now I'm updating it. Every person counts to me, and watching the numbers for this story go up and up and up, I felt that I couldn't just give up on it. I apologize for such a long wait, but writer's block is a bitch, and every time I went to write this story, I just couldn't. I plan on finishing it soon, and I'm going to try and keep up with my updates. I want to do at least three to five updates a week on each story, starting with whatever one was updated the latest. Yes, that means Demons and Dare the Truth will be updated next. I will probably give this story special attention considering how old it is now and that it needs to be finished. Any more support from you guys will be highly appreciated. It's the motivation that drives me to finish stories I haven't updated in over a year._

 _ **Short recap of last chapter and what's been going on;**_ _This takes place around the time where it seemed Archie liked to torture Sonic and make his life miserable, starting with the breakup with Sally after his return from being dead for a year (same time Knuckles had died and come back), then with his fight with Tails after the whole Fiona escapade. After a fight with his family, Nicole helps Sonic move in a new home by himself, and tries to make him feel better by getting him to go on a G.U.N. mission with Shadow. Unfortunately, while trying to get two Chaos Emeralds, Sonic is roboticized by Eggman and fights his group of friends. They put a chip on him that allows him to fight Eggman's control, but now they don't know how to unroboticize him with the strange coding Eggman had used. This story is in first person perspective, between Sonic and Nicole mostly, but some other characters will get a spotlight of their own, including Shadow, Sally, and Tails._

 _Chapters are probably going to be kind of short, considering the story itself isn't going to be that long. When I originally planned this, I pictured it as a comic in itself, so it isn't particularly lengthy. I didn't want to do less chapters that are longer, and decided to do more shorter chapters. That way it doesn't drag and you still get the story. I'm thinking about sixteen chapters, give or take._

 _With that said, welcome back, and I promise to finish this sooner than later._

* * *

Five - What If

 _Sonic_ ~

I only watched the group talk about what they could do in the far back corner of the room, Shadow leaning against the wall next to where I was sitting. He looked immensely guilty, which wasn't something I was used to seeing from him. I know he felt like it was his fault, but I also knew nothing I said would get it through to him that it wasn't.

Nicole kept passing me nervous looks, looking as guilty as Shadow. I'm probably going to have to yell at them both, because it was my own dumb fault for falling for the trap to begin with.

I'm just glad I hadn't hurt any of them.

I watch Knuckles look back and meet eyes with Shadow, who frowns and looks down. I remember the two talking with one another, but now it seemed they were hiding something. Maybe they could feel my Chaos Energy. That's what had kept me alive last time I was roboticized…

"I've never seen anything like this," my Uncle Chuck was saying in disbelief. "This is unlike any code I've ever read. Eggman definitely made this himself."

"If he made it, then he's got to have something about it in his system," Sally says with a frown. "If we can get into his base and hack his computer, we should be able to find something…"

"I'm not so sure," Tails said, his ears flattening. "If what I'm reading is right, this code is at least five decades old."

"How do you know that?" Sally asks with a raised brow.

"The pattern he used to make it," Tails points at the screen. "I've studied a lot of different coding, and although I've never read any characters like this, the pattern he used is similar to a lot of what the humans were using over fifty years ago."

Fifty years ago? I look over at Shadow, who has the same thought as I do. We share the same expression, before I finally speak up. "See if Shadow can't recognize it."

"That's a good idea," Tails blinks in surprise, as Nicole hands Shadow her handheld and he looks over it. I can tell the way he's going over it that he does actually recognize some.

"This isn't too different from what the Professor use to write with," he said, "although some of it is completely different."

"I could try to compare it with the data we've found in his diaries you and Sonic have found," Nicole offers. "It is possible that Eggman took Gerald's code and rewrote it to suit his own needs."

Shadow gives her back the handheld, which she then passes to Sally.

"Sounds like our only plan of action," Knuckles sighs, crossing his arms. "I'm going to try and see if my father has anything we can try. I'm thinking we can use the Chaos Emeralds to help us."

"Sound's fair," Chuck says with a frown. "We don't have much else to go on right now." Looking over at me, he gives me a determined look. "We will get this fixed, Sonny, I promise you that."

I hoped so. I can't find any words to say, with the doubt that was heavy in my mind. I only look down, not sure what else to do. I want to believe that this will be fixed, but…

I can't believe Eggman got one on me. Last time I was roboticized was horrible enough, but now I was stuck like this.

"I'll see what I can do," Nicole says softly. "I'm sure there's a way for us to do something. Even if I have to rebuild the virtual world so you can ask Gerald yourself, I'm sure we'll figure out something."

I glace at Shadow to see his reaction to that. He looked slightly hopeful, which was fine by me. Any chance he had to see both Gerald and Maria again would be amazing for him. It would also help us get advice from the world's smartest scientist.

"Also, Sonic," Nicole starts, catching my attention. She offers me a small smile. "There's something I want to try that'll probably make you feel better."

I only quirked an ear at her.

* * *

 _Nicole_ ~

I can't stop myself from smiling. Sonic let out a woot as he ran around the virtual world I lived in, grinning from ear to ear.

Luckily I keep models for everyone that enters the virtual reality, and thankfully Sonic and Shadow were here frequently as of late. Sonic could enjoy his body here, not as a robot, while we tried to figure out a ways to save him.

I had Tails and Chuck hook him up to the computer at Knothole, so while his robot body was in standby, he could freely be here without having to worry about being trapped at one place. He couldn't go to Mobotropolis as he was, or really anywhere for that matter, so at least here he could run around and explore without stress or worry.

He stops in front of me, smiling brightly. Seeing him like this put a strange but pleasant feeling in my chest, making me feel warm and even happier for him.

"This was a great idea," he exclaims, throwing his arms up to stretch with a smile. "Feels a little weird but it's better than being stuck as a robot."

Was it? Here, Sonic and I were equals. He was only short of being an AI as a virtual model while his real body was outside in the real world. Did he honestly prefer this…emptiness over being a robot?

Maybe I was just so tired of being here that I hadn't considered that he would like this that much better.

"I'm happy you feel better," I say, truly sincere. He smiles and looks away quickly, looking over the virtual realm with a look of peace. He seems to doze off, and I watch as his smile fades slowly and he frowns, thinking to himself. "We'll find a way to get you back to normal," I say to hopefully deter the thoughts I knew he was having. "Don't worry."

He smiles again, nodding. "I know it."

After saying that, he waves and tells me he's going to explore, so I watch him run off. Once he's gone, I frown and turn, opening up a screen in front of me with Eggman's code on it. I decide to run a program that would compare the coding to that of Gerald's, using all of the gathered data from Sonic and Shadow's missions to recover it.

Immediantly words started to highlight in different colors, numbers and digits from each screen comparing them. The ones that matched perfectly were in green, while a lot of yellow characters showed up, signifying that something had changed. Then, there were red spots that showed entirely new streams of coding that it couldn't recognize.

If what Tails said is true, then Eggman most likely kept the way the coding was written, but changed the coding itself. I wonder when he did this, and if it was recently at all, then Sally's plan of hacking into his computer wouldn't all be for nothing. He had to have something laying around that I could look at to figure this out…

…but if he didn't want Sonic to be cured, he would go to drastic measures to prevent us from doing so. I only hoped we weren't too late to find anything.

My mind goes to the look Sonic had made only minutes earlier, and the dread I could see in his eyes. I knew what he had been thinking; what if he was stuck like this forever? To never have that freedom again…

If only there was an easy way…something simple, like making a virtual model for him so he can at least have his body here in this world. It wasn't like he could just get a new body in the real world…

…

…but…

Shadow.

My mind went to him instantly as I read over parts of Gerald's notes.

Professor Gerald was able to create Shadow…so what if there was a way to create not just a new lifeform, but transfer a person's thoughts and such into the new lifeform? Could it be done? Eggman has created Shadow-Androids, but they were mostly robot. If we could create something like Shadow again, but simply transfer Sonic's thoughts into a new body…

…and could the same be done for myself?

A body of my own…is it even possible?

I was thinking ahead of myself. Of course we were going to get Sonic's body back. We would translate the coding and build a deroboticizer to fix him. We would only to go drastic measures if it was absolutely necessary.

…but to think…that I could have a chance at having a real, breathing body…

I close my eyes, trying to imagine what breathing was like. What feeling was like. Sonic knew what that was like, and had that stripped away from him. Was that worse? To have something so wonderful taken away from you, or never experiencing it at all? I couldn't say…I had never thought about it before.

I look up at Gerald's notes, frowning to myself. Could it be done?

I decided that I would only try, if Sonic's body couldn't be saved...


	7. Six: Falling in the Wrong Directions

**Notes-**

 _There really is no 'set time period' that this takes place. It's been awhile since I've read all the comics, and I'm building this AU around them. Things will happen out of order in this story, so bare with it._

 _-Anonymoux_

* * *

 **Chapter Six - Falling In the Wrong Directions**

 _Nicole~_

I watched Shadow frown at the text on the screen, his brows furrowed and his ears quirking back, as if he were agitated.

"It looks agonizingly familiar, but I can't remember what half of it means," he muttered. I smile at him, knowing there was only so much he could do.

"It's alright, we'll figure something out," I say, hoping I sound as confident as I wanted to. The way he looks down tells me I didn't succeed.

"Anything?"

We look up at Sally as she walks in, concern evident in her sky blue eyes. She stands beside me, seemingly hopeful as she tried to gauge our responses.

"Nothing yet," I give her a better smile, trying to sound lighter in my tone as well. "It'll take some time before we can do much at all."

"Do we even have time?" Sally asks, her voice wavering. "What if Eggman comes back for Sonic, or finds a way to turn off the chip keeping him in his right mind?"

"Even if he were to get Sonic, with Sonic's mind in the Virtual Realm it is safe. Sonic's body will remain in shutdown mode and his presence in my computer," I explain, watching her exchange looks with Shadow. "Eggman would have to hack into my servers, and he's failed to do that every time he's tried."

"He will attack us, though," Shadow huffs, leaning back in his chair to cross his arms. "He will try to get a hold of Sonic, and use him as blackmail."

"Or he'll go after the city," Sally puts a hand on her hip. "We should move Sonic to Mobotropolis. At least we could protect them both while we're trying to solve this."

She was right, but…

"We would have to transport him in unseen," I state. "If anyone were to see him like this, it would cause him more trouble than he's already been through, and he's been through enough."

Sally seems surprised by my words, her brows furrowing slightly. "I know that," she replies, sounding bitter. "I wouldn't let that happen to him, anyway."

Shadow scoffs, and I pass him a warning look to not start anything. He rolls his eyes and looks away, earning himself a questioning glare from Sally.

We all knew Sally was the start of the torment Sonic was going through. After a year of thinking he was dead, he comes home, and then immediately gets pulled into the fight with Mecha -Eggman's android 'daughter'-, injuring him after his long journey home. Him leaving to fight Mecha so soon after returning is what sent Sally off, and she had screamed at him and slapped him, in a fight of him 'choosing the world over her.'

Everyone had heard about it. Reporters had caught the whole scene on camera, and the word of Sonic and Sally's break up spread as fast as he can run. How many times has she hurt him like that? When she left him for St. John...when she left him for Monkey Kahn…

Why was I thinking of all this? Why was I feeling such...anger towards her over it?

She was selfish…

Ignorant…

...she's my best friend! What am I thinking?

She would cry to me whenever she got into a fight with Sonic...telling me she didn't mean to lash out… Both she and Sonic were leaders, stubborn, and had their own methods of getting things done, methods that clashed with each other. Sometimes they fought, yes, but...did that cover up everything she did to him?

No...it didn't…

I was starting to feel more and more distant with Sally as the days passed. Watching Sonic hit the bottom of the barrel and have everyone he was friends with turn against him...it was saddening.

At least Shadow seemed to be on his side. Then again, Shadow seemed more open with both Sonic and I after we brought him into the Virtual ARK, made out of Professor Gerald's diaries. He got to see both the Professor and Maria, the two people he both missed and grieved over dearly. Ever since then, he hasn't been as introverted with us, and comes to me often asking for Sonic for G.U.N. missions.

I hope he doesn't feel bad about what has happened…

" _Uhh...Nicole?"_

Sonic's face popped up on the main computer above our heads, and Sally and Shadow blink in surprise at the sight of him. I raise a brow and smirk at Sonic's uneasy, guilty smile, wondering what he's gotten himself into now.

"What have you done?" I ask in a mocking tone, watching him rub the back of his head with the sweat practically glistening off the side of his face.

" _Well uhh… I must have hit the end of the world, or something… Hit a huge red wall that just popped up out of nowhere. It didn't seem broken or anything but uhh…"_

"Idiot," Shadow mutters, but there's a hint of a smirk there. Sonic gives the black and red hedgehog a squint-eyed look.

" _I literally had no idea it was there. You don't see it until you're right on it."_

"Of course," the Ultimate Lifeform says, unbelieving.

I can't help but laugh at their light banter. Those two were certainly something when they weren't fighting each other. "It's alright, it takes more than a sonic boom to damage my firewalls," I say, winking at Sonic's surprised face. "Are you okay, at least?"

" _I think so,"_ he shrugs carelessly, smiling back at me. _"I'm getting kind of bored though. You don't think you couldn't possibly make, I don't know…"_

"A virtual space for you to run?" I finish, watching him smile sheepishly. "Of course I can. Any place in mind you want me to make?"

" _Green Hill is fine,"_ he shrugs again, not really sure. _"Unless you come up with something to surprise me."_

"I could make Green Hill for now and set up something while you're occupied," I offer. He beams in return.

" _Great! Thanks, Nicole."_

When the monitor is turned off, I catch strange looks from both Sally and Shadow. They seemed...bittersweet. As if they were happy that Sonic was happy, but the grim reality of the situation was still hanging overhead like a guillotine.

Sonic would only stay pleased for so long…

Shadow suddenly looks up then, raising a brow at me curiously. "Is it possible to show this coding to the Professor? If it was ever written in his diaries…"

He seems hesitant to ask, and I smile softly at him. "I've already compared the code that made up Sonic's robotization with Gerald's, and it's pretty close. Asking him ourselves would probably be easier than trying to decipher the differences on our own."

He seems to light up at that, his black ears perking up at the possibility of seeing his creator again.

"Just give me some time to open the Virtual World and make sure it's stable enough to use. With the two Chaos Emeralds you and Sonic were able to get, I should be able to keep the world up long enough for us to find our answers."

Sally nudges me, grabbing my attention. "I'm going to go prepare a ride into Mobotropolis and let the others know how things are going. Let me know when you're ready to go."

I nod, watching her leave.

"I don't like her," Shadow says quietly once she's gone, and I feel a strange new emotion along with sympathy, something I can't understand.

"Things have been...shaky...since Sonic's come back," I say with a breathless sigh. "Stress can make people act out of character sometimes."

He doesn't seemed convinced. "That doesn't excuse their actions."

To hear someone else say it aloud… I swallow and look away. Shadow was too blunt for someone like myself, which...is probably exactly what I need around me. I'm always questioning things, but never deciding on an answer. He finds his answers and sticks with it, no matter how unsure they can be. Maybe he could help me figure out why my feelings towards Sonic lately were causing me to act...different than I normally do.

Like thinking badly about Sally...my best friend…

* * *

 _Sonic~_

They had all looked tense when I seen the three of them. Shadow had that look like he wanted to snap something, and Nicole looked uneasy. Sally looked annoyed, something that I was starting to get use to more and more every time I seen her.

She probably doesn't care if I stay a robot or not, as long as I'm around to protect her...and…

...what? No, of course not, she's not like that… I mean...is...she?

I frown and run a hand through my quills, staring at the green, virtual ground. Would she care? If it was up to her, would she even go through the effort to save me?

If she thought I was a threat, then yes, she would. Just like last time… They saved me just to send me to prison. She wouldn't even listen to me. Wouldn't even consider that just maybe I had been kidnapped…

It was a while ago… She forbid that I go to Robotropolis on my own because it was too dangerous. Well...I ended up going against my will anyway, after being captured by Eggman. He roboticized me and sent me to destroy Knothole.

Knuckles had to roboticize himself to stop me. I was injured badly in the fight when we crashed right into Robotropolis. Once I regained self-awareness they unreboticized me, and then cuffed me. They thought I had gone against Sally and went to Robotropolis anyway, and that all that destruction in Knothole was my fault…

Would she do it again? Try to get rid of me if Eggman takes back control over me and uses me to destroy Mobotropolis?

I really didn't know.

I could only hope that Knuckles and Shadow would be able to stop me before I really hurt anyone. I just hope that never has to happen…

I guess the benefit of being an virtual copy of myself in a digital world was that I didn't feel nauseous with these thoughts going through my head.

"Sonic?"

I turn at the sound of Nicole, who was looking at me with eyes full of concern. Crap, did I space out again? How long has she been standing there?

"What's up?" I smile, hoping to cover myself as best as I could. She could see right through it, though, and she frowns, stepping up to me.

"Are you alright?" she asks, and I swallow, trying to pretend she's talking about the firewall incident.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine, not a scratch on me!" I keep up my smile, but she's giving me this look like she just _knows._

"You know that's not what I'm talking about," she calls my bluff, and I feel myself tense. She sees through me too well…

"I'm fine, I swear," I try, at least, only slightly losing my smile. "Just want to get my body back, you know?"

I can't tell if she takes it. With a frown, she studies me, making me slightly nervous. She's already seen me upset, numerous times now. She's also super smart, and probably has an idea exactly what's bothering me.

At least she's not psychic…

"Sonic, you can tell me anything, okay?" she says, and I freeze. Her voice is soft and kind, and she's looking at me with a small frown. "If you ever have anything heavy on your chest, I will listen."

Why did she have to go and make things awkward? I look away, not sure how to respond to that. Damn, so she _did_ see through me. I wonder how much she knows...if she really does know as much as she's letting on.

"T-Thanks," I say quickly, inwardly cursing myself for stuttering. I hope she doesn't catch that too, but by the way she's still looking at me I can tell she did. "Is uhh…" Dammit, pull it together… "Is that Green Hill thing up yet or…?"

She sighs and looks away. Ugh, why did she have to make me feel so bad? She was trying to help, I know, but… I just couldn't bring myself to say anything…

"It's ready. Just jump through that doorway over there, and back through it when you want to leave. I'm going to have to hold on that other world for you for a little while. I'm going to be setting up Gerald's diaries so we can ask him directly for any help."

Immediately Shadow comes to mind, and she must know I'm going to ask, because she says; "Shadow will be coming here too. I can tell he wants to see them."

That makes me feel a bit better, and I give her a genuine smile. "I know he does, too. He's been much more friendlier since he first got to see them."

Nicole finally cracks a smile. "I noticed this myself. He's pleasant to have around like this."

I chuckle, thinking about how much Shadow has changed since we first met. "He's actually a really nice 'edgehog once you get to know him," I joke, bringing a giggle out of her.

"You two work well together," she comments, and I blink, taken aback.

"So do you and I," I say, watching her eyes widen.

Was she...blushing?

"You really think so?" she sounds starstruck, and I can't help but smile. Did she doubt herself?

"Of course I think so!" I laugh lightly. "You're amazing! You're unbelievably smart, smarter than Eggman and Tails combined, can control computers and make amazing things with them, and you kick ass when you fight!" Her eyes couldn't get any wider, and yes, she _was_ blushing. I felt inclined to keep going, hoping to make her feel better. "Honestly, you're one of the coolest chicks I know. You kind of remind me of Blaze, but you're much more open, honest and kind, and have done more for us than anyone else. We would have been taken over by Eggman if it weren't for you."

I meant every word too, I realized. She really was amazing in everyway. Pretty too, and the blush on her cheeks made her more so.

She puts a hand on her face, smiling embarrassedly. "You...give me more credit than I deserve."

"Nonsense! You deserve way more than you know," I argue. "I mean, just look at New Mobotropolis. We would have all been mindless Eggman-slaves if it weren't for you building that city."

Her smile is wavering. "Thank you, Sonic. That means a lot to me."

Her black hair is in her face, and without thinking I brush it out of her eyes and pat her head. What was I doing? I smile nonetheless and give her a thumbs up. "Anyway I can repay you for all you've done, I'll do it. I might do all the action, but you're the real silent hero of Mobius. Everything we have wouldn't be without you, and I'm sure I'll owe you a ton more after you help me get my body back. Even if we can't," I didn't want to think that, but it was a possibility, "I appreciate everything you're doing to help me."

She stares, her yellow eyes wide at me for a minute, her face blank. For a second I wondered if I said something wrong, but then she takes my hand and gives me the brightest, most determined smile I've ever seen.

"We will get your body back," she says, eyes narrowed in determination. "Then I'll find a way to get Eggman back for what he did."

Her voice had an edge to it that I don't think I've ever heard before. With a red face, messy hair, bright, narrowed eyes, and beaming smile, she looked like a true fighter about to go to war. Did she always have this side of her? This confident, determined side of her that I'm just now seeing? It gave her a beautiful aura around her and I suddenly noticed how close we were…

Now _my_ face felt hot. I chuckle, running my free hand through my quills. "As long as you're in charge, I know it'll all work out. I'd like to see him get some karma, too."

Her smile practically twinkles. "I could always hack into his robotic controls and turn all his robots against him. It'll be for a limited time but…"

"You are…" Gorgeous. I caught myself before the words could tumble out of my mouth. "...amazing. I'd pay to see that." Good save. What the heck was I thinking? Then again I wasn't really thinking, was I? I couldn't help it though. Seeing her so strong and sure of herself opened up a whole new perspective of her.

That's how I had fallen for Sally.

She was strong, could fight, smart, courageous, and independent. She wasn't like most girls I had met, where they clung to me as if I were a prince in shining armor, relying on me like Amy use to (and still does, if not as much). Blaze caused these same feelings for me, but she lived in a whole other dimension and...that wouldn't have worked out well.

...but here was Nicole, a powerful AI that could fight, defend herself, and keep not only up with everyone, but she was always ten miles ahead of us.

Even if she was an AI, she was still one of the strongest women I knew.

No...I can't do this again.

Her ears bounce happily at my statement, before she realizes she's still holding onto my hand and quickly lets go, and I take and inward sigh of relief.

"Did you want to go to the Virtual ARK with us?" she asks, her face still just as red as she folds her hands behind her back. "I think Shadow would want you to be there."

"I think I should, since I was there the first time, and we're going there mostly because of me, anyway," I smile, hoping my face wasn't as red as it felt. Hoping she doesn't notice if it is.

"I'll call you when it's set up," she nods. "It might take awhile, though."

"I'll find something to do," I shrug. "I could always take a nap, too."

"I put barriers on the edge of the world so you wouldn't run into any more firewalls," she smiles teasingly, and I turn away with a grin.

"Thank you~ Call me when we're good to go."

I head to the portal, my smile fading as I leave her sight.

Chaos...what was I thinking? I can't fall in love in again. Not now, and probably not ever. I just hope that blushing was just because she was embarrassed. I don't want to go through all that hell again… What if she did fall for me and we went out, and then she found someone she liked more than me? She's Sally's friend, too. I can't do that to their friendship.

Gods, I'm such a jerk.

* * *

 **Notes-**

 _When you're so used to writing gay shit that you put 'he' instead of 'she.' |-_-;;;|_

 _No, there's not going to be any Shadicole or Sonadow in here. This story is strictly Single!Shadow. Sorry, edglord. At least he still has his spotlight..._

 _Anonymoux_


End file.
